Vending machine



Nov. 16, 1954 F. s. MASON VENDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l i I h.

Filed Sept. 29, 1950 IN VEN TOR. QQA/ W QiEo 7726196 Nov. 16, 1954 F. s. MASON 2,694,480

VENDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 29, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 1! KM United States Patent Ofiice 2,694,480 Patented Nov. 16, 1954 VENDING MACHINE Ford S. Mason, Lockport, N. Y.

Application September 29, 1950, Serial No. 187,506

3 Claims. (Cl. 194--85) This invention relates to improvements in vending machines of the general type disclosed in my Patents No. 2,652,916 of September 22, 1953, and No. 2,653,069 of September 22, 1953.

The vending machines shown in said earlier applica tions for patent are intended primarily for use indoors or in places where they are protected against the weather and particularly against rain, snow or the like. It is, however, sometimes desirable to place these machines in locations which are not protected against the weather, and while the machines themselves are made of materials which are not damaged by moisture, yet the articles dispensed by the machines are damaged if they become wet, and if the articles are sugar-coated, such as gum balls, the water would dissolve some of the sugar coating, forming a sticky mass or syrup, which would seriously interfere with the correct operation of the machine.

One of the objects of this invention, consequently, is to provide a machine of this type in which the articles to be vended are protected against liquids which may enter the machine through the coin slot or other openings in the machine. A further object is to provide a machine of this type With a trough or pan which is so mounted that any water entering the machine will be kept out of contact with the articles to be vended. Another object is to provide a machine of this type with a pan or trough arranged to support the articles and having a bottom and upwardly extending side walls and so located with reference to openings in the machine that water entering the machine will not enter into the pan or trough, so that the articles to be vended are kept (lther objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a vending machine to which improvements embodying this invention may be applied.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view thereof, on line 22, Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary central sectional elevation thereof, on a still larger scale.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view thereof, on line 4-4, Fig. 1.

My improvements may be applied to vending machines of various types and the vending machine shown in the drawings is merely illustrative of one type of machine to which my improvements may be applied, this machine comprising a base or housing having an annular side wall and a suitable bottom wall 11 secured thereto. The lower portion of this base or housing forms a container for coins into which the coins drop after they have effected the release of articles for discharge from the machine. This portion of the housing also has an inclined article discharge chute or trough 12 suitably secured to the side wall 10 and extending through a hole in the same to the exterior of the machine. The outer end of the trough is formed with an upwardly inclined part 15 which receives the articles discharged through the trough and holds them in position to be removed by the purchaser. The trough may be provided with any suitable trap door or the like (not shown) for preventing entry of insects or insertion of implements for the purpose of tampering with the machine.

The upper portion of the side wall 10 supports a pan 17 having an upwardly extending annular wall 18 which telescopes within the upper portion of the annular wall 10 of the housing or base. The upper edge of the annular wall of the pan may be provided at its upper edge with an outwardly extending flange formed to rest on the top edge of the annular side wall 10. This pan supports the coin-controlled mechanism and the mechanism for discharging the articles through the trough 12, and for this purpose is provided with a central upright post 19 suitably secured thereto.

Within the pan and oscillatable on the bottom thereof is a sector-shaped coin carrier 20 whichhas a sub stantially flat bottom portion resting on the bottom of the pan and an upright arc-shaped flange 21 adjacent to the upright wall 18 of the pan. The coin carrier is mounted to oscillate about the axis of the post 19 to a limited extent from a coin-receiving position to a coin discharge position. The coin carrier has a handle 25 which extends to the exterior of the housing through registering slots 23 and 24 in the upright wall 18 of the pan and the wall 10 of the housing, and it is obvious that when the vending apparatus is stationed out of doors or in an unprotected location, rain may be driven through these slots into the interior of the vending machine.

22 represents a spiral coil spring, one end of which may be secured to the post 19 and the other end of which may be secured to an upwardly extending lug or projection 26 of the coin carrier. This spring normally urges the coin carrier into coin-receiving position as shown in Fig. 2 from which position the coin carrier may be moved by the purchaser by actuating the handle 25 to2 turn the coin carrier in a clockwise direction in Fig.

The coin carrier may be provided with any means for receiving the coin, and in the construction shown, the coin carrier has an arc-shaped portion thereof partly cut out of the flat bottom portion of the coin carrier and bent upwardly to form an arcuate upwardly extending ledge or projection having an upwardly extending web 27 and a horizontally extending flange 28, Fig. 2. A part of the flange 28 is provided with a slot 30 in which the coin may be held while the coin carrier is swung through an arc of a circle against the action of the spring 22. When in the slot 30, the coin rests on the upper face of the bottom of the pan 17. When the coin carrier has been moved to the limit of this movement in a clockwise direction in Fig. 2, the coin, after releasing an article for discharge through the chute 12, will drop through a coin slot in the bottom wall of the pan into the base or housing of the machine.

Above the coin carrier and within the pan is arranged an article carrier 35 which has a central aperture through which the post 19 extends so that the article carrier may move about the axis of the post. The article carrier is preferably formed of a sheet of metal and provided with a plurality of downwardly extending tubular projections or open-ended pockets 36, see particularly Fig. 3.

The articles to be vended by means of the particular machine illustrated are of spherical shape, such for example as balls of chewing gum which are coated on their exterior surface with sugar or other coating. A relatively large quantity of these gum balls is placed into actuated by the coins on the coin carrier for advancing the article carrier into a position in which one of the articles 39 is dropped through a discharge opening 41 leading to the discharge chute 12. Any other suitable mechanism for imparting movement to the article carrier about the post 19 by means of the coin carrier may be provided.

The article container 38 may be held in place on the machine by means of an inside 'collar 40 which rests on the upper edge of the annular wall 18 of the pan and which has a downwardly extending flange which overlaps the annular wall 10 of the housing. 42 represents an outside collar which is preferably split and fits about an enlargement or neck portion 43' of the article container 38. The outside collar is provided at one end with an inwardly extending lip 44, Fig. 3, formed to enter into registering slots in the outer annular wall of the housing and the upright wall 18 of the pan. At the opposite side of the outside collar there; is provided a slot 46 through which a locking bar 47 extends: for engagement with a suitable lock 48; Fig. 3, which is accessible at the bottom 11 of the housing forlocking and releasing the locking bar 47;

The outside collar is provided with. an aperture a to receive the coin and the inside. collar is provided with a chute or coin guide. 3012'. Both the aperture and the chute are in alinement: with the coin slot. 30' in' the flange of the coin carrier. when the coin carrier'is' in retracted position.

It: will thus be seen that while. the container 38= for the articles is in the form of an; inverted bowl. and no water can enter into this container, nevertheless, water may enter into the part of the machine below the. bowl through the coin slot 30a and through the slot 46 through which the locking bar 47 extends, as well as through the registering slots 23 and 24 in the side of the ma chine. Such water can collect on the upper surface of the bottom of the pan 17 on which in prior constructions; some of articles 39 which were in the pockets 36-would rest until they passed upon the coin'carrierfor discharge from the machine.

In order to prevent water which entersthe machine from. damaging the articles. in. the pockets of the: article carrier, I have provided a runway 50 for: the: articles in the pockets 36 of the article carrier; This runway may be a part of the coin carrier or may be a separate piece secured to the upper face of the coin carrier. in any suitable manner, such for example-as spot welds-60. The runway is provided with an outer, upwardly extending annular flange or wall 51 which prevents water which may lie on the upper surface. of the pan from wetting the articles in the runway. This runway is provided with an aperture 52 which, when in registration with the aperture 41 in the bottorn of the. pan 17 and'with an aperture 53 formed in the coin carrier, permits discharge of the articles from the machine.

The articles vended by means; of the-machine are generally sugar-coated gum balls. or other confections, and while they are supported on. the runway a small amount of the sugar coating may be removed from the articles by abrasion or otherwise. In order'to prevent. thiswater soluble coating material from being discharged from the U runway to the pan, where it might be dissolved inwater to form a sticky, syrup-like. substance, that might. interfere with the operation of the machine, I preferably make the runway of annular shape with flanges. at both the inner and outer edges thereof; Consequently, in addition to the upstanding flange or wall 51-, L provide an additional inner flange or wall 54. This construction has the further advantage that the runway will provide a space within the inner wall 54 within which the spring 22 is arranged.

The pan 17 is provided; with upwardly extending stop PI'OJCClZlOIlS 56 and. 57 which limit the extent to which the coin carrier may be moved, andthe spring 22 urges the coin carrier into a position. to discharge articles in which one edge of the coin carrier engages the stop. 57. When the coin carrier is moved by means of the handle 25 against the action: of the spring into position to. discharge a coin into the base of the machine, the other edge of the coin carrier will be in engagementwith the stop member 56. Thesev stop: members cooperate with the bottom of the: runway in such.- a manner as to space the runway above the bottom of the. pan to a sufiicient extent to prevent water lying on. the pan. from passing upwardly into the runway. These stops also serve to support the panso that the weight of'thearticles. resting on; the runway will not. tend to tilt the runway and the: com carrier to which. it is connected. The stops thus serve the additional purpose of. supporting the runway and coin: carrier in correct positions relatively to other parts of the machine.

Water in. the pan will be discharged into the lower part of the housing through any oi the apertures in thelower part of the pan, for example, through an aperture: 59 through which the locking bar 37 extends, or through the aperture through which coins drop into the bottom of the housing. If desired, additional drain holes may'b'eprovidedinthebottom of the pan. Consequently; water entering into the pan through any of the slots or openings in the maehine'will be drained from the pan into the bottom of the receptacle before it can reach the level of the runway for the articles. The bottom of the coin receptacle is not made water-tight, and consequently, water entering into the coin receptacle will readily drain outof. the same, for example, through the aperture in the bottom of the base through which the lock 48 extends. If. desired, additional discharge openings may be provided in the base. It will, therefore, be seenthatby a relatively simple and inexpensive addition to these machines, I have provided means whereby the same may be used out-of-doors, or'in other unprotected locations without permitting water entering the machine to damage the articles to be sold.

The runway described has the further advantage of providing a smooth continuous surface on which articles in the pockets 36 may bear when being moved to the article discharge opening of the machine. In prior machines, the articles when first entering the pockets 36 of thearticle carrier rested on the bottom17 of the pan and were then. transferred to the slightly higher upper. surface of the coin carrier on which they rested until discharged fromthe. machine. This raising or elevating, of the articles from one surface to a higher surface at times chipped or-damaged the articles, and consequently, deposited; chips on, the bottom of the pan which at times: interfered. with the correct operation, of the machine. By' means of' the construction descrihed,,the articles: in; the. pockets of the article carrier arenot elevated; from one. surface to another so thatithechances of chipping: are greatly reduced. Furthermore, if. any' chips, or-particles are removed from the articles during the operation of the machine, these chips or. particles. willremain in: the runway and any excess chips. or particles in the runway will be discharged with the. articles; through the article discharge openings and: chute. and consequently, will not in any way interfere with: the operation. of, the, machine. Furthermore, in prior machines any chips or particles removed from the articles, which in the case of gum balls are: sugar-coated, resulted in. deposit; of such particles or'chips on the panand if water should enter a machine of' the prior type, the water would dissolve the sugar. and form.- a: sticky mass on the pan which could seriously interfere with; the operation oh the pan. By means of. the. construction herein described, all chips or particles: removed. from the coated articles will remain in the runway, where they will remain dry even if water enters the machine and, becomes deposited on the pan. The inner and, outer upwardly extending flanges form walls; which confine; the chips or particles within the runway and prevent them from; being dropped on the pan, and also reinforce the runway.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangementsof parts whichhave been. herein described: and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilledim the. art within the principle and scope of the invention, as expressed in the. appended claims.

L claim as my invention:

1. In a vending machine having a base forming a receptacle for coins and including a side Wall having an opening for the discharge of articles from the mach1ne,. apan. supported by the. upper portion of said s de wall and having an opening in the bottom thereof through which coins. may drop into. said receptacle and an aperture. through which articles may pass to said d scharge opening in said side wall, and an article carrier arranged above the bottom of said pan and having open-ended pockets for receiving articles to be vended and from which pockets: said articles, may be discharged from said machine through said aperture in said pan and said. opening in said side wall of said base, said articlev carrier being pivoted to rotate about anaxis, that improvement which, includes a coin carrier of segmental, shape oscillatable about said axis in the space between said article carrier and the bottom of said pan and having a coin receiving portion which supports a coin in position to engage part of said article carrier to advance the same to move a pocket into, article discharge position, said coin carrier also carry: inga coin into a position to be dropped from said opening in said pan, said pan having upwardly extending stop parts formed to engage edges of said coin carrier to limit the extent to which said coin carrier may oscillate about said axis, a runway of substantially circular form arranged substantially concentric with said axis and disposed below said pockets in position to retain said articles in said pockets, said runway being secured to the upper surface of said coin carrier and having an opening therein through which articles may drop through said aperture in said pan for discharge from the machine, the lower surface of said runway bearing on the upper surfaces of said stops to hold said runway in spaced relation to the bottom of said pan and to support said runway and coin carrier in correct relation to other parts of said machine.

2. A vending machine according to claim 1, in which said runway is of annular form and has upwardly extending flanges at the inner and outer edges thereof.

3. In a vending machine having a base forming a receptacle for coins and including a side wall having an opening for the discharge of articles from the machine, a pan supported by the upper portion of said side wall and having an opening in the bottom thereof through which coins may drop into said receptacle and an aperture through which articles may pass to said discharge opening in said side wall, and an article carrier arranged above the bottom of said pan and having open ended pockets for receiving articles to be vended and from which pockets said articles may be discharged from the machine through said aperture in said pan and said opening in said side wall of said base. that improvement which includes a coin carrier oscillatable in the space between said article carrier and the bottom of said pan and having a coin receiving portion which supports a coin in position to engage a part of said article carrier to advance the same to move a pocket into article discharge position, said coin carrier also carrying a coin into a position to be dropped through said opening in said pan, said coin carrier including an annular runway disposed beneath said pockets for supporting articles in said pockets of said article carrier and having an opening for discharge of articles from the machine through said aperture in said pan, said pan having upwardly extending parts on which said runway rests in spaced relation above the bottom of said pan to hold the articles in position above the level of liquid which may collect in said pan, said upwardly extending parts of the pan being positioned to form stops which limit the extent to which said coin carrier may oscillate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 578,994 Jussem Mar. 16, 1897 1,189,954 Jacobs July 4, 1916 1,252,121 Jacobs Jan. 1, 1918 1,321,382 Mason Nov. 11, 1919 1,381,135 Randall June 14, 1921 1,651,605 Kuhn et al. Dec. 6, 1927 1,981,931 Vogel et al Nov. 27, 1934 1,998,194 Hladky et al. Apr. 16, 1935 

